The present invention relates to a vehicle seat assembly and in particular to a vehicle seat assembly having an extending seat track trim cover for covering the end portion of the lower seat track when the seat assembly is adjusted to a full forward or full rearward seating position.
Vehicle seat assemblies are typically equipped with fore and aft seat adjustment capability. The adjustment capability is usually provided by mounting the seat assembly on a track structure including a pair of lower tracks fixed to the motor vehicle with a pair of upper tracks slidable fore and aft thereon. The seat cushion and seat back are carried by the upper tracks for movement fore and aft within the motor vehicle to adjust the seat assembly position as desired by the seat occupant. When the seat assembly is in a rearwardmost position or close thereto, the front end of the upper track is rearward of the front end of the lower track and, depending upon the lengths of the tracks, the lower track can extend forward from the seat cushion and be exposed within the vehicle. Likewise, when the seat assembly is moved toward its forwardmost position, the rear end of the upper track is forward of the rear end of a lower seat track such that a portion of the lower seat track is exposed rearward of the seat assembly.
The exposed lower track is undesirable for both aesthetic and functional reasons. In a fully trimmed vehicle interior, the exposed metal seat track can detract from the overall appearance of the vehicle interior. Furthermore, for proper operation. The track structure is provided with grease for lubrication which can come into contact with the occupant's clothing when the seat track is exposed. In addition, with the lower track exposed, it is possible for dirt and other debris to collect in the track structure, causing poor performance during seat adjustment.
It is also becoming desirable to provide increased amounts of travel for the seat assemblies. To do so requires a lengthening of the lower track which results in a greater length of exposed track.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages described above with respect to the exposed lower seat track in a vehicle seat assembly.
It is a feature of the present invention to provide a trim cover for the lower seat track when the vehicle seat assembly is in a forward or a rearward adjusted position. It is a further feature of the present invention to provide a cover that is extensible from the movable portion of the seat assembly as it is moved to either a forwardmost or rearwardmost adjusted position to cover the otherwise exposed lower seat track.
Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.